Tom, I'm Not Dead
by DragonStarUnited
Summary: Takes place directly after The Death Cure. We had escaped to Paradise, and everything was to be perfect. WICKED was crushed. The Immunes were supposed to start the world anew. We were supposed to create a new society, safe from the Flare. But even Paradise has limits... and anything is always possible. "Tom, I'm not dead."
1. Tom, I'm not dead

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Maze Runner**_**.**

Takes place directly after _The Death Cure. _We had escaped to Paradise, and everything was to be perfect. WICKED was crushed. The Immunes were supposed to start the world anew. We were supposed to create a new society, safe from the Flare. But even Paradise has its limits…

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**Thomas POV**

It should've been perfect.

The two hundred Immunes were in Paradise. We were safe from WICKED and the Cranks. The Flare couldn't affect us, at all.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, no longer glowing with flames.

Brenda and I were there, kissing. My arms were around her, comforting each other, playing with her silky light-brown hair. It was a passionate kiss, full of relief, happiness, and most of all, love. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

We pulled away, gasping for air.

"Thomas… Thomas…" She said. I could feel her hot breath, gasping for air.

"Brenda…" I started.

"Thomas… I need to show you something." She said, cutting me off. Her face, full of happiness a moment ago, suddenly was full of concern. Taking my hand, she started dragging me along.

"Brenda… I can walk!" I protested. She let go of my hand, and slowed down to walk next to me. I could feel her warm breath, still gasping for air. She was muttering "Thomas…"

We kept walking, passing a few trees lined with fruit. "We're going to need some of those." I said. She stared at me, a blank expression present on her face.

"Y'know, for the Immunes." I replied.

"Get them later." She said, almost snapping at me. I knew something was wrong, based on her tone.

"Where are we going?" I asked. She had no response, deathly quiet. She sped up her walking pace.

Eventually, I had to sprint to keep up. I wasn't paying attention, and I stripped over a tree stump

"Ow," I said. I looked up, hoping for Brenda to turn around and help me up. Instead, I saw a snake.

"Is that thing pois-"I was cut off by a loud _hiss_.

"No, god dammit!" She yelled. She grabbed a large stick and killed the snake, whacking it repeatedly.

"What is it?" I asked, starting to feel sleepy.

"Dammit, it's poisonous." She said, examining the snake.

"Crap… am I going to die? And how did you know that?" After WICKED, I'm going to be killed by a puny snake? I was very, very, drowsy at this point.

"You could die." She whispered. "Thomas, I wanted to-"

I had no response-I had fallen into a deep, deep, sleep.

While unconscious, I saw a dead body-Rat Man's. This was in the Maze, when Rat Man was trying to open my brain. The explosives had done their job, and the area was annihilated. Rocks lay everywhere, along with bloodied and battered body parts. But why am I seeing these images? I gulped.

My eyes wandered around, beyond my control. No, no, please, just stop!

I saw knives, and another dead body, belonging to the WICKED member I killed.

I saw a familiar rock, and a familiar head and arm.

_Teresa's._

I feel so guilty. I shunned her for so long, my _true_ best friend, and she ends up saving my life. At the cost of her own, none the less. She was always on my side. Oh, god, Teresa. I started sobbing.

And she always loved me, despite all I had done to her.

_Teresa… Teresa…_

I kept sobbing.

Suddenly, I felt a rumbling in my mind, pain surging through me, before I heard a voice. It seemed to be communicating with telepathy.

_Tom, I'm not dead._

I paused. Wait, didn't I lose my telepathy? Who is talking to me? Can it be…

_Tom, I'm not dead._

…No, it must be WICKED-they are the only ones who could have done this to me. God dammit WICKED, stop messing with my head. Just disappear into hell!

_But Tom, I'm not dead._

WICKED, just stop. Teresa was crushed under a rock. I saw. Get out of my head!

_Tom, listen._

WICKED, what lies do you want to feed me? Oh, Thomas, just donate your brain so that you can die, and _maybe_ we'll cure every one of the Flare. Those Cranks won't be cured, WICKED. All you've done is destroy lives one, by one, by one. Get away.

I sensed the voice becoming more and more impatient, but it still spoke in a calm voice.

_Tom, please, please, listen. I need to-_

WICKED, I will never listen to your lies, every again! Just stop, please-

_Tom, shut up! I'm not WICKED. It's me, Teresa! I need to tell you-_

No, no, it can't be. Teresa?

_Yes, Tom, it is me. I'm not dead._

No, I can't be!

_Tom, it is me. WICKED saved me._

How'd you survive? I swear I saw you crushed by that rock. You couldn't have survived.

_WICKED is strong._

Teresa, escape. They'll take your brain, just like they were going to-

_Thomas, shut up! Just let me talk. _

I shut up. She was the one captured by WICKED, so I might as well listen.

_Okay, so after you and the Gladers left-and I after I saved you-a worker started drilling at the rocks, to free the workers._

_Anyway, I wasn't dead yet, so I kept yelling and yelling for help. The rock that had nearly killed me was getting slowly drilled by their drills. Soon they were impatient, and they used a Launcher to break open the rock. It split in two, and I was freed. My eyes darted around, yearning for an escape path. The man said, "No, you're much too precious to WICKED. You won't be escaping." He moved towards me. I started running, but ran into a larger, more gruesome man. And the scent of chloroform took me away… to where ever I am._

Where are you, Teresa?

_I'm not sure, reminds me of that room I stayed in before the Scorch._

They haven't taken your brain yet?

_No, and I hope they don't._

A moment of silence passed. I had no comments, she had nothing to say. Still, I could feel her presence, breathing in and out, and… _alive_. I was startled when she started to speak.

_Oh, and by the way, I saw that kiss with Brenda._

Her voice held some tension inside, as if she was very, very bitter.

_Tom, do you still hate me? I explained my actions in the Scorch, and I… well, I did it to save you. I guess you heard my "last words" so you know how I truly feel about you._

Teresa…

_I know Tom, I know._

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**Question of the Chapter: **Favorite character? For me, it's Teresa.


	2. An underground locker

**Disclaimer: I am not the author of the Maze Runner Trilogy. I don't own anything related to the Maze Runner, except for this FanFiction account.**

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**Teresa POV**

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"Tom…" I mumbled, as I cut off our telepathy.

I was in a small, confined room. As I told Thomas, it seems like the one that I stayed in when preceding the Scorch. I haven't seen anyone since that man took me away with the chloroform.

It's driving me crazy.

I've been in here for… a day or two. No food, water from the bathroom, and one bed. My face is more pale than usual, if my vision is still reliable.

"Agh…" I moaned. In an effort to shut up my stomach, I tried fooling it by drinking excessive amounts of water. Sadly, it just makes me sick. My throat aches, my head hurts, and I can't get out.

I've been trying to smash through the door, but it seems to be made of metal. I can't exactly see, because it is coated with a sticky substance. The substance also makes me feel sticky. I actually tried to eat it, but after a small chew, I spat it out. It tasted like rubber.

WICKED must still recognize my intelligence, thus they will take out my brain, and kill me. I'm just waiting, waiting, waiting for the end.

To make things worse, all the Gladers and their friends are gone. They can't come back to save me. Only I can save myself.

Oh, Thomas.

Even worse, is that the witch named Brenda has captured Thomas's heart. The only person I have communication with, and I'm not totally sure that he trusts me. I trust him, why can't he do the same?

Of course, I did terrible things to him in the Scorch.

And, now, I'm looking for any way out of the room. I'm feeling around the wall, looking for a secret door, or perhaps a little hole. Smooth, smooth, smooth, and the light green color continues to humiliate me. It looks rather similar to the color of puke…

… No luck.

I feel around the bed, perhaps for a weapon. Nothing there, either. I pick up the mattress and throw it across the room. Underneath is nothing unusual; just a bed frame and the wooded floor.

I go into the bathroom and look around the cabinets. Nothing, nothing, empty bottles… nothing useful.

I walk back outside and stub my toe on a wooden tile. "Ouch," I say. "Why is this tile high up than the others?"

I picked at the tile, trying to push it down. It wouldn't budge.

Then, I had an extraordinary idea. I pulled up the tile, and underneath was a small lock. It covered what seemed to be an in-ground locker.

"Nice," I said. I grinned. _I might now be dead, after all._

I started dialing combination after combination.

My life was on the line, right there.

* * *

**Thomas POV**

* * *

"Teresa…" I said. She had cut off our telepathy, and I had woken with a startle. I was on the ground; hard, dirty, and full of insects. I don't blame them, although. My injury had been the first for these people, so makeshift methods must've been used. My back ached, and I knock off an any from my left arm.

Everyone was staring at me. "He woke up!" Brenda yelled. She took my face and gave me a soft, yet passionate, kiss on the lips.

"Man, good to see you're all right," Minho said.

"Where am I?" I asked. My voice was groggy, and my vision was blurred.

"Our makeshift hospital," Minho said. "Some doctors, well, _former_ doctors had taken care of you. Man, you've been out for two days!"

"Two days…" I mused. I had been out for that long? It seemed like a few hours to me. Did I yell in my sleep? I better not have, because Brenda will kill me…

"Did I talk in my sleep?" I asked, quite abruptly.

"Nope, you didn't. What, worried about your dreams again? I heard you whisper Teresa when you woke up," he said.

"Did Brenda hear?" Of course, my first priority is my love life.

"No, although I could tell her-"

"YOU BETTER NOT!" I yelled. Everyone around me turned and stared at me. After staring at me for a few seconds, they turned away. A few mumbled under their breath, and I heard someone say, "Some leader he is, crazy twit."

"Sheesh man, I won't. Just some blackmail material," he said, with a grin. "Anyway, I have to go and find food. Someone will watch over you for the rest of the day," he ran off.

Food? I stared around. I saw people with baskets, picking fruit off the trees. Others were taking in water from a well. An apple was placed next to me. I didn't dare eat it. Worms in an apple? With my luck, when I take a bite, I'll see half a worm in the apple.

"Ugh," I moaned. The pain, where the snake bit me was too much to handle, and I fell back into a deep slumber. The last thing I remember is, "We need more food! Minho, Brenda, go and get it!"

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**_~TheCrtTeam_**


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